1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to plumbing systems and to such systems with a concrete slab.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art discloses a wide variety of plumbing systems in combination with concrete slabs. Typically a plumbing pipe system is put in place within a predetermined area in which a concrete slab is to be poured. In various systems, several pipes project upwardly well past what will be the top surface of the slab to be poured. In many instances, it is difficult, if not impossible, to adequately trowel and smooth the concrete around the pipes. Often the pipes are close to the location of walls, commodes, and other structural members that require a substantially flat top slab surface. Often a projecting part of a pipe is moved during a pour and, following setting of the concrete, is not at a desired location. This may require jackhammering of the concrete around the pipe so it can be moved back to the proper location.
The prior art discloses various plumbing fixtures, pipe couplers, and slab/plumbing systems. U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,598 discloses a coupling for plastic pipe which is adapted to be embedded in a concrete floor and to form part of a fluid flow path with the pipe. The coupling includes a tube, preferably integrally molded of plastic, with an integral annular rim inside the coupling with parallel shoulders perpendicular to a longitudinal cylindrical axis of the tube and with an annular face parallel to the axis between the shoulders, an attachment means, preferably an annular flange with tabs for nails or the like, at one end of the tube adapted to be secured to a form such as a wooded form for pouring the concrete floor around the pipe and coupling and a removable cover at the end of the tube adjacent the attachment means and adapted to prevent poured cement from entering the inside of the tube. The coupling is mounted on a form and the concrete flooring is poured around it. The coupling is adapted for supporting a toilet bowl mounting flange in residential and commercial construction and for mounting plastic piping between multiple levels of concrete floors usually in commercial construction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,354 discloses a device to be permanently embedded in the masonry floor of a building structure for both supporting and joining pipe sections extending above and below the floor. The device has an anchor surrounded by the masonry material to prevent movement relative to the floor. The ends of the device are of several different designs to permit the joining thereto of pipe ends by various methods.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,490,954 discloses a masking cover for a wall surface around a pipe, the cover with two circular concentric plates each provided with a radial slot with parallel edges connected together by a semicircular portion having its center coinciding with that of the plates, the plates arranged for mounting by way of their slot around the pipe in order to form a single stable facing in the form of a circular masking cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,087 discloses a support apparatus and method for attaching fluid-conveying pipe couplings of various lengths to be embedded in concrete barriers of various thicknesses to a metal concrete form involve a dual diameter outer disk attached to an elongated compressing column which extends through a hole in the concrete form to a fastening means in order to compress the fluid conveying pipe couplings in the fixed positions between the form and the outer disk. The fastening means can be attached to the compressing column at any longitudinal positions. An inner disk can also be put between the form wall and an inner end of the pipe coupling to provide extra rigidity. The disks act as forms to produce openings in the concrete barriers at opposite ends of the pipe couplings. Nothing extends beyond an outer, perimeter, surface of a forming portion of the outer disk. A preferred coupling assembly with which the support apparatus is used, and a method of using the same, involves a male/male, relatively short, insert having an O-ring seal and a tapered internal surface at only one end to form a sliding seal with a female/female pipe coupling portion embedded in the concrete barrier. A hand grip is formed on the outside surface of the insert.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,471 discloses a pipe coupling holder for holding a pipe coupling joint to be embedded in concrete and has a cylindrically-shaped barrel member having an inner wall to which the coupling joint is attached at a first end. The holder also includes a flange member, which is separate from the barrel member, but which has a hole of the size for snugly receiving a fixed-shaped outer wall of the barrel member to be selectively slidable along the barrel member and attachable thereto at any selected position. A second end portion of the barrel member can be cut away to accommodate a raised portion of a concrete form wall and the flange member can be slid along the outer surface of the barrel member to the top of the raised portion. The separate flange member is then adhered in this position to the outer wall of the barrel and fastened to the raised portion of the concrete form wall to hold a pipe coupling in a fixed position during the pouring of concrete in the form.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,170 discloses a coupling to be embedded in concrete which has multiple concentric rings on an outside wall of a tube which aid in preventing leakage along the outside wall and which help in providing fire retardancy. The coupling includes a step form having a regular diameter which aids in positioning the coupling using a template.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,527 discloses a plumbing concrete form accessory with a relatively large hollow displacement member having a hole in a wall thereof and defining a sleeve about the hole for snugly fitting the outside surface of a pipe. A dissolving type adhesive is used to adhere the sleeve adjacent a first end of the pipe and a second end of the pipe is mounted to a concrete form by means of a slidable flange which is also adhered to the outside surface of the pipe. A spacer cuff is mounted snugly about the outside surface of the pipe adjacent the second end thereof. The mounted pipe supports the hollow displacement member in the concrete form while concrete is poured about the pipe and the displacement member. In a preferred embodiment, a cover is used to cover an open side of the displacement member to allow selective access to the interior of the displacement member for coupling a fixture to the first end of the pipe once the concrete has hardened.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,886 discloses a pipe attachment device for attaching a pipe to a concrete form wall which includes an axially extending wall and a floor extending laterally from a first end of the axially extending wall. The floor is affixed to the concrete form and the pipe to be held in place on the form is pressed on the axially extending wall. The pipe is held thereon by the friction of a force fit. After concrete is poured into the form wall and allowed to cure, the pipe attachment device is removed with the concrete form wall while the pipe is allowed to stay embedded in the wall. A separate riser is adhered to the outer surface of a standard pipe to prevent it from sliding out of the concrete once the form is removed. A special pipe coupler can be used with a male pipe attachment device having a built in shoulder and riser. Intumescent cuffs can be used with either the standard pipe or the special pipe coupler.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,097 discloses a coupling adapted to be pressed into or secured in a hole in a concrete floor or wall which is secured in place by a concrete to plastic adhesive and can serve as part of the piping system of a building.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,309,688 discloses a penetration unit for a concrete slab including a hollow housing open at one end for receiving a service line or pie, and provided at its other end with an enlarged opening surrounded by an annular flange which enables connection of the housing to formwork defining the boundary of the concrete slab. The housing defines a hollow space in which the service line or pipe terminates and may be connected to a further line or pipe such as an elbow. A puddle flange may be located about the service line or pipe and engage the housing. Intumescent material may be located in the hollow space surrounding the pipe or line.
There has long been a need for: an efficient effective system and method for: locating and installing pipes for a plumbing system in an area in which a concrete slab is to be poured; for such a system and method in which pipes do not need to be relocated following setting of the slab; for such a system that does not obstruct the placement, levelling, and finishing of a poured concrete slab; for such a system which allows adjustment of pipe location after a slab has hardened without damage to the slab; and for such a system that increases slab quality around projected plumbing pipe locations while reducing the labor cost of the finishing process and of making pipe location adjustments after a slab has hardened.